Pool_2

>> Getting There << (The ride to Teson Hall)

Doctor Macaluso fastened his seat belt and began jotting some notes on the back of a folded paper as Shannon O'Brien weaved her car out the hospital parking lot. She asked him if he wouldn't mind reaching for her compact. It was in a small zippered bag on the back seat. Complying, although with some gymnastics as the shoulder strap tangled his rustic tweed jacket, he mumbled, "Two causes." Of course she bit. "Two causes of what?" "Dead bodies in vehicles with bright red lips. Carbon monoxide poisoning and lipstick while driving." "OK, smarty, you do my lips while I drive!" "Why don't we just wait here a minute while I jot my notes and you spackle your mouth?" Beaming, "You can't do it," she wiggled her head playfully. "Your lipstick? Sure I can. Tulie showed.." "No. You can't tweak me. Today, I'm immune. Damn. I can't believe we pulled this off! Marcus, think of it!" Shannon was bubbling with expectant enthusiasm. "For all we know, we could rewrite the constitution! Once the legal mechanism sees what's been going on.. well .. who knows?" Marcus just shook his head. Who ever paid the most bribes, he claimed, is the one who knows. She pulled the car over, stopped, clipped her compact shut, did a careful inward lipstick lip rolling maneuver in the mirror, then landed her best backward hurled right elbow bash into Macaluso's left shoulder. "You want another?" As he feigned a mortal wound, she taunted him with her fist and told him to tie that moody beast of his to a tree